our daily bread
Dexu Xia
A Perfect World
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Revelation 21:5
Katie was given a school assignment to write an essay entitled “My Perfect World.” She wrote: “In my perfect world . . . ice cream is free, lollipops are everywhere, and the sky is blue all the time, with only a few clouds that have interesting shapes.” Then her essay took a more serious turn. In that world, she continued, “No one will come home to bad news. And no one will have to be the one to deliver it.”
No one will come home to bad news. Isn’t that wonderful? Those words point powerfully to the confident hope we have in Jesus. He is “making everything new”—healing and transforming our world (Revelation 21:5).
Paradise is the place of “no more”—no more evil, no more death, no more mourning, no more pain, no more tears (v. 4)! It is a place of perfect communion with God, who by His love has redeemed and claimed believers as His own (v. 3). What marvelous joy awaits us!
We can enjoy a foretaste of this perfect reality here and now. As we seek to fellowship with God daily, we experience the joy of His presence (Colossians 1:12–13). And even as we struggle against sin, we experience, in part, the victory that is ours in Christ (2:13–15), the One who fully conquered sin and death.
Lord, thank You that You are making all things new. Help us to live in the hope of the day we will live with You, pure and blameless, on a new earth in Your presence forever and ever.
God’s perfect world is for all who believe in Jesus
完美世界
坐宝座的说：“看哪！我将一切都更新了。”-启示录21章5节
凯蒂的学校作业是写一篇作文，题目是“我的完美世界”。她写道：“在我的完美世界里……冰淇淋是免费的，到处都是棒棒糖，天空永远晴朗，而且只有一些造型可爱的云朵。”接着，她笔锋一转，继续写道：“在这个世界，没有人回到家会听到坏消息，也没有人必须传递坏消息。”
没有人回到家会听到坏消息，不是很棒吗？这句话正指出了我们在耶稣里的盼望。耶稣“将一切都更新了”，祂要医治并改变我们的世界（启示录21章5节）。
在天堂里，许多事都“不再有”了。那里不再有罪恶，不再有死亡，不再有悲哀，不再有疼痛，不再有眼泪（4节）。在那里，我们能与上帝有完美的交流，这位上帝因爱而施行拯救，并宣称凡信祂的就是祂的子民（3节）。在那里，你我将是何等喜乐啊！
其实，我们现在就能预先享受上帝完美的同在。当我们每天亲近上帝，就能经历祂同在的喜乐（歌罗西书1章12-13节） 。甚至当我们面对自身的软弱时，也能靠着完全战胜罪恶和死亡的基督，不断地得胜（2章13-15节） 。
主啊，感谢祢正更新一切。求祢让我们活在世上时，
能满怀着将来与祢同在的盼望，
在新的世界中，我们将成为圣洁没有瑕疵，
并享受祢的同在直到永远。
相信耶稣的人将能进入上帝的完美世界。